In a Saturday article in Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano, the Holy See sought to frame itself as the lone voice of courage in opposing initiatives to give same-sex couples legal recognition

VATICAN CITY (AP) _ The Vatican is digging in after gay marriage initiatives scored big wins this week in Maine, two other states and Europe, vowing to never stop insisting that marriage can only be between a man and a woman.

On Tuesday, Maine voters approved of same-sex marriages, as did Washington state and Maryland. With 98 percent of Maine precincts counted, the initiative won 53 percent to 47 percent. Gay marriage laws also advanced in Spain and France.

In a Saturday article in Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano, the Holy See sought to frame itself as the lone voice of courage in opposing initiatives to give same-sex couples legal recognition. In a separate Vatican Radio editorial, the Vatican spokesman asked sarcastically why gay marriage proponents don't now push for legal recognition for polygamous couples as well.